


Nico: Before It All Fall Apart

by SimplePassion



Series: 1000 Ways to Tell the Stoll Brothers Apart and I Can Name You One [17]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: 3rd person, A little bit of angst, Abandonment Issues, Canon Compliant, Family Death, Friendship, Gen, Sibling Bonding, Siblings, canon character death, sibling fighting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-26
Updated: 2019-03-26
Packaged: 2019-12-07 16:00:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18237101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SimplePassion/pseuds/SimplePassion
Summary: Nico remembered the first time he met the Stoll Brothers. He was ten and they were fourteen and thirteen. He remembered them teaching him poker. He remembered one like to ruffle his hair more and the other like to swing an arm around his shoulder. He remembered one was curious about his mythomagic card and one was more curious about his dad and mom. He remembered one of them saying “We’re just like you and Bianca! We have the same mom and dad and we’re not twins!” And the other asking, “Aren’t you worried about your sister?”(Or 1000 ways to tell the Stoll Brothers apart and I can name you one. Nico - Problem Solving)





	Nico: Before It All Fall Apart

**Author's Note:**

> Forgot Nico’s Birthday is in January. So he’s turning 11 next month. The math all works out in my head because I distinctly remember him being three years younger than Percy.

 

#  Nico — Problem Solving

Nico (10) - Travis (14) - Connor (13)  
During the Titan’s Curse.   
December.

* * *

 

Nico remembered the first time he met the Stoll Brothers.

He was ten and they were fourteen and thirteen.

He remembered them teaching (trying to teach) him poker.

He remembered one like to ruffle his hair more and the other like to swing an arm around his shoulder.

He remembered one was curious about his mythomagic card and one was more curious about his dad and mom and how they met, how they stayed together, what happened to her.

He remembered one of them saying “We’re just like you and Bianca! We have the same mom and dad and we’re not twins!”

And the other asking, “Aren’t you worried about your sister?”

And he remembered scowling with tears pricking in his eyes. He snatched the bag of Cheetos from the circle they formed, the deck of cards scattered in the middle. He tore into the chips, munching angrily.

“She left me for the hunters. I don’t care what happens to her.”

But that’s a lie and he remembers the brothers, the two brothers who still have each other, share a look.  

“You don’t mean that,” one of them says cautiously.

But Nico still continues the lie. For whatever reason, he doesn’t know why. “Yes, I do.”

“No, you don’t. Why don’t you talk to her when she gets back?”

Tears brimmed in his eyes and he shoved a handful of chips into his mouth. “You don’t know Bianca, Travi—”

“Connor,” Connor corrected.

“You don’t know her, Connor. She’s so bossy and won’t listen to me at all. It’s always ‘do as I say.’ She thinks she knows everything and, and, and _she was the only one to be okay with who I_ —” but she left, didn’t she? Maybe she wasn’t okay with him. Maybe she hated him.

The prick in his eyes burned harder and Nico pressed the heel of his hand against an eye. Shame. Betrayal. Regret. It all settled in his chest and clogged his throat. It’s so so so hard to speak, but he managed to choke out, “I hate her for leaving me.”

Connor frowned and Nico can see him mouthing what he didn’t mean to say, what came out by complete accident ( _only one to be okay with who I — with who I —_   _who I —)_ and Nico’s heart stop for a second at the thought of Connor founding out. But Connor’s nice. He would be okay with it, right? He’s not like the others. But Bianca also wasn’t like the others and look where she is.

It’s unfair. It’s so unfair that Connor still has his brother, that Travis didn’t leave him, didn’t abandon him. That Travis loves him enough to stay and Bianca doesn’t.

And maybe to flex on that, like the gods he learned existed just a mere week ago, are punishing him for his ignorance, Travis pulled him into a hug that Bianca would have done. Should have done.  

“It’s going to be okay, Nico  You can cry. We won’t judge.”

“I’m not crying,” he mumbled into the shirt and closed his eyes, letting himself imagine it’s Bianca hugging him, that it’s Bianca safe and sound with him.

Travis squeezed tighter. “Connor is really bossy too. Sometimes I want to tear my ears off. ‘Don’t forget to eat vegetables, Travis. Don’t forget to do laundry, Travis. Don’t forget we have sparring with the Ares cabin tomorrow and need an excuse, Travis.’”

“Hey! Clarisse will whoop our as— ”

And Travis let him go to slap his hand over Connor’s mouth, leaning into him till he toppled over. “But! I know he’s bossy because he worries I’ll slip and die in a hole somewhere.”

Connor made a muffled noise of indignation, clawing his brother’s hand off him. “You _would_ have died in a ditch somewhere without me. Remember, San Francisco? Aunt Merry? Do you remember how willingly you follow her back to her apartment?”

“She looked nice!”

“She kept commenting on how delicious you look!”

“She offered chocolate. That's like every 7 year old weakness.”

“This was what I was talking about! I have every reason to be worried about you.”

Nico’s head lowered. He missed his sister. _Bianca… why did you leave?_

“Where was I going with this? Oh that’s right.” Travis turned back to him. “Hey, Nico. Maybe Bianca is bossy because she’s like Connor? Not that I’m saying you’re dumb like I was back then or anything.”

“You’re still kinda dumb,” Connor snorted and Travis elbowed him in the arm.

“She’s with the hunters. How can she boss me around if she’s not around?” Nico moped.

Travis scratched the back of his head and looked off to the side with embarrassment. “Whoops, that’s right. You should talk to her then. Ask why she left, you know?”

“I don’t want to. I hate her.”

Connor frowned and shook his head. “No. You definitely have to talk to her. Communication is everything. Even if Artemis doesn’t allow it or if Bianca doesn’t want to. You guys need to talk.

And Travis piped up with a wicked grin. “Connor and I will kidnap her from the group once she gets back! Dude, we should totally do it. It’ll be fun.”

“I don’t want to talk with her,” Nico pouted, nose scrunching.

And at the same time, Travis and Connor asked.

“Alrightie, we’ll ask her for you. Are you okay with that?”

“Then you’ll never see her again. Are you okay with that?”

“I...I...I don’t know what I want. I just want… I just want McDonalds.” And he raced out of the cabin to Half Blood Hill and stood beside Thalia’s Pine. His eyes wandered over the horizon, _definitely_ not hoping to see if his sister and Percy are back yet.

But he didn’t see anyone.

Talk? Why bother talking? Bianca hates him. She left without even telling him why. She _hates_ him. That’s it. That’s the answer. They should be back any second now. And he’ll prove to them his sister sucks.

* * *

 

But Bianca never came back.

The war continued.

And life is just a cruel joke

* * *

 

Nico (11) - Travis (15) - Connor (14)

Post- Battle of the Labyrinth

Nico stands at Half Blood Hill, back to camp and looking at the path before him. The well-tread road is sprinkled with fallen leaves and pine cones. A couple of cars are park beyond.

He looks back over his shoulder, pressing the image of the Big House, of the strawberry fields, of the climbing wall and volleyball courts in his mind. He isn’t accepted here but it didn’t mean he didn’t like it. This is probably as close to home as he’ll ever have.

Nico sighs softly, turns his head back around, and nearly yelps when he sees one of the Stoll brothers. He didn’t though. Which is good. He _does not_ need to give the Stolls more blackmail material. Those pictures they took before his life fell apart are enough. (not that they can do anything with them. He’ll kill them if they ever tried to blackmail him.)

The son of Hermes smiles apologetically.

Nico squints at the brother, dragging all the memories he could from last year up about these two. Poker. Chips. More card games. And more junk food. Plus the occasional, nagging, ‘eat your veggies.’

But, no, he can’t tell who it is.

And it seems he knows it too because, he says, “I’m Connor.”

“What do you want?” Nico says, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

Connor cocks his head to the side. “Nothing, just wondering where you are going?”

“Where do you think?”

“Are you coming back?”

“What do you think?”

He grins softly. “Yes?”

Nico rolls his eyes and shoves past him.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry. Hey, are you really leaving? It’s a cruel world out there.” Connor wraps his hand on his arm and Nico stiffens. Immediately the hand leaves.

“Sorry,” Connor mutters, “Um, you don’t have to leave, you know.”

“Would you stop?” he snaps, “I’m not going to stay in a place where everybody hates me.”

And for a quick second hurt flashes across his face before it's quickly replaced with a small grin.

“I don’t hate you, Nico.”

“I’m a son of Hades, Connor. Everybody hates us. I’m not going to be accepted anywhere, not by anyone.”

“Well, Hermes and Hades have a great relationship, you know? Probably the best out of all the Olympian Gods so… ”

Nico responses by pulling his hoodie over his head and stuffs his hands back into the pockets.

Connor sighs but didn’t try to stop him. “Be careful, Nico. Don’t mess with any funny people. I know safe places all over the states if you need a place to sleep. And I have several friends that can give you a job for some quick cash. And if you get into legal trouble, I know a person who’ll—”

“Bye, Connor.”

“Wait, I think Travis wants to say goodbye too. Can you wait—”

Nico shakes his head and takes off running down the hill, to the shadows from the trees. He made it all the way down to the base of the hill before a horrendously loud voice comes bounding up the hill. “Wait! Where is he? Is he gone already? Oh, wait! Is that him? Nico!”

And he blends into the shadows, disappearing far and away from the haven.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading this far! 
> 
> I decided 2019 to be the year I finish all my WIPs! As such, I probably won't post on this work that much unless it's something short. 
> 
> Also, I can order this series so the one-shots are chronological. On FFN, it's as posted. Tell me which you prefer!
> 
> OH! And there's this great fic called [Pramantha](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18162869/chapters/42953792) by An_Sionnach. It's Leo-centric and is an AU of the House of Hades. I highly recommend you check it out! I really love the plot and the writing.


End file.
